Christmas tree ornament



Sept 4, 1956 p, GARVER 2,761,232

CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENT Filed Dec. 29, 1954 IN VEN TOR.

John P Gan/er ATTORNEY United States Patent This invention relates to an ornament and more particularly to an ornament incorporating an element movable by a thermal air current.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of an ornament that may be suspended on a Christmas tree above a light thereon so that a movable portion of the ornament will be actuated by a thermal air current from said light.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a Christmas tree ornament incorporating a transparent cylindrical body having a movable element pivotally mounted therein.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an ornament of a simple and attractive nature incorporating a novel bearing structure.

A still further object of the invention isthe provision of a simple and inexpensive Christmas tree ornament which may be rapidly and efficiently produced and sold at relatively low cost.

The Christmas tree ornament disclosed herein comprises an improvement in the art relating to air actuated devices of the nature wherein a pinwheel is caused to rotate. In such devices as have heretofore been proposed, the pinwheels have been mounted in various ways for actuating by various air currents and such devices have been relatively fragile, easily broken and of extremely short life.

The present invention relates to an ornament incorporating a pinwheel so arranged and disposed within the ornament that it is completely protected while at the same time rendered movable by a thermal air current rising through the ornament. The ornament is sturdy, capable of being handled repeatedly without damage and therefore possesses a relatively long life.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the Christmas tree ornament.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a transparent cylinder comprising a part of the ornament shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view of the transparent cylinder shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top plan View of an end portion of the ornament shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a side view of the end portion of the ornament shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side view of another end portion of the ornament shown in Figure 1. A dotted line in Figure 6 illustrates the positioning of a pinwheel.

2 Figure 7 is a top plan view of a pinwheel shown in the ornament in Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the pinwheel shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is an enlarged cross sectional detail of a glass bearing incorporated in the pinwheel of the ornaa depending flange 13 spaced inwardly from the peripheral edge of the upper end portion 11 a distance equal to ment shown in Figure 1.

By referring to the drawings and Figure 1 in particular it will be seen that the assembled ornament includes a transparent cylindrical body 10 preferably formed of thin wall tubing and having an upper end portion 11 secured to its uppermost end and a lower end portion 12 secured to its lowermost end. The upper end portion 11, which is also .shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, comprises an annular member having the wall thickness of the cylindrical body 10.

The upper end portion 11 has a centrally positioned vertically extending post 14 extending above and below aplurality of horizontally disposed arms 15 which unite the post 14 with the annular portion of the upper end portion 11, the area between the arms 15 being open and defining air passageways. The uppermost end of the post 14 is provided with an eyelet 16 through which i ahook may be secured. The lower end of the post 14 is provided with a horizontal disc-shaped guard 17 which is of substantially greater area than the area of the post 14.

The lower end portion 12 is similar in most respects to the upper end portion 11 in that it comprises an upturned flange 13 spaced inwardly from the peripheral edge of the annular section a distance equal to the wall thickness of the cylindrical body 10. i i

The lower end portion, as best shown in Figures 1 and 6 ot' the drawings, has a plurality of arms 19 extending to a centrally positioned upstanding secondary post 20 which in turn has a thin metal shaft. 21 extending vertically therefrom. The upper end of the thin metal shaft 21 is pointed and in assembled relation, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the pointed upper end of the metal shaft 21 terminates in relatively closely spaced relation to the guard 17 on the lower end of the post 14 heretofore referred to.

The upper end portion 11 and the lower end portion 12 are affixed to the upper and lower ends of the transparent cylindrical body 10 by means of a suitable cement after a pinwheel (as shown in Figures 1, 7 and 8) has been disposed on the thin metal shaft 21. The pinwheel comprises a section of metal foil 22 having a centrally located opening 23 and a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending cuts 24. The edge portions of the metal foil 22 are bent on lines extending transversely across the area of the metal foil in a generally triangular pattern, as best shown in Figure 7 of the drawings. The portions of the edges of the metal foil on opposite sides of the cuts 24 are bent in opposite direc. tions so that a multiple blade pinwheel results with alternate blades around the edge thereof extending upwardly and downwardly. The centrally located opening 23 in the section of metal foil 22 receives and retains a glass bearing 25, as best shown in Figure 9 of the drawings, the glass bearing being of inverted semi-conical shape and is positioned through the opening 23 in the foil 22 and cemented thereto, as shown in Figure l of the drawings.

It will be observed that when the pinwheel incorporating the glass bearing 25 is positioned on the pointed thin metal shaft 21 in the assembled ornament, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, it is incapable of being accidentally displaced therefrom as upward movement of the same is limited by the guard 17 on the lower end Patented Sept. 4, 1956 are 1,232.

of the post 14 and the height of the inverted semi-conical glass bearing is greater than the distance between the upper pointed end of the thin metal shaft 21 and the lower surface of the guard 17. in this respect the relative positioni'ngs of these elements may be seenin Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings wherein the upper end portion 11 and the lower end portion 12 are shown in correctly spaced relation with a dotted line illustrating the intermediate positioning of. the pinwheel.

It will thus be seen that a simple and efficient construction has been disclosed which comprises an extremely attractive and practical ornament. The transparent cylindrical body protects the pinwheel against all but vertical air currents and the upper and lower end portions secured to the cylindrical body serving to mount and retain the pinwheel in desired operative position at all times.

It'willthus be seen that the several objects ofthe invention have been met by the Christmas tree ornament disclosed herein.

Having thusdescribed'my invention, what I claim is:

1. An ornament comprising a transparent body member having upper and lower end portions thereon, the majorityof which are cutaway to provide vertical air passageways through said ornament, a centrally disposed vertical post in said upper end portion extending downwardly into said transparent body member, a vertical shaft positioned on said lower end portion centrally thereof and extending upwardly therefrom toward said post, a pin projecting fromthe top of saidvertical shaft, a pinwheel comprising a plurality of interconnected radially arranged light reflecting angularly disposed vanes having a centrally positioned bearing portion disposed on said pin, said bearing portion of said pinwheel being elongated conically so that said pin extends into said comically elongated bearing portion of said pinwheel to a point above the middle plane of said inwheel and adjacent the lower end of said post, said comically elongated bearing being of a greater height than the space between the top ofsaid pin and the bottom end'ofsaid post so that the pinwheel isretained in said ornament on said pin thereby.

2. An ornament comprising an upright section of transparent tubular material open at its upper and lower ends and having flanged annular members secured to said upper and lower ends, each of said flanged annular members having arms extending to centrally disposed posts positioned'axially of said transparent tubular section, said post in. the upper end extending vertically below said upper end of said tubular section and having an enlarged lower end thereon, said post in said lower end extending above said lower end of said tubular section and incorporating an axially extending thin metal shaft positioned on the axis of said tubular section, the upper end of said thin metal shaft being pointed and closely spaced with respect to the enlarged lower. end of said vertical post in the upper end of said ornament, a pinwheel comprising a circular section of light reflecting material having circumferentially spaced radially extending cuts therein terminating short of the central area thereof, the adjacent radially extending portions of said pinwheel being alternately bent upwardly and downwardly to form inclined light reflecting planes, the central area of said pinwheel having an opening therethrough,

an inverted elongated conical bearing disposed in said opening in said pinwheel and positioned over said thin metal shaft and thereby mounting said pinwheel Within said transparent tubular member in movable captive relation with respect thereto.

References Cited in the file of this'patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Newton Feb. 26, 1935' Leahan Mar. 14, 1950 

